Rowsley to open new Café Football at Manchester museum

MAINBOARD-LISTED real estate and investment company Rowsley on Monday announced that it will partner the UK's National Football Museum in Manchester in an effort to operate more football-themed cafes and hotels.

Rowsley, through its subsidiaries, operates Hotel Football and Cafe Football and has signed an agreement to operate a new Café Football at the museum later this year.

In a related deal with GG Collections, another Rowsley subsidiary, the museum will loan its collection of over 140,000 football memorabilia to Hotel Football and Café Football in the UK and around the world.

Hotel Football, Café Football and GG Collections are co-owned by Rowsley with two of Manchester United's most well-known ex-players Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs.

Ho Kiam Kheong, the executive director of Rowsley, noted that more than 500,000 people visit the museum each year, which will help to boost Café Football's brand.

The museum, one of the main tourist attractions in Manchester, houses exhibits such as the 1966 Fifa World Cup ball, the Sleeping Beckham work of art by Sam Taylor Wood, and Diego Maradona's 1986 "Hand of God" match jersey.